


Operation Observation

by LivingInSmilesIsBetter (axm)



Category: Forever (TV)
Genre: F/M, Ficathon, Lucas Wahl Appreciation Week, Mortinez, jenry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-30
Updated: 2015-03-30
Packaged: 2018-03-20 07:44:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,158
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3642276
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/axm/pseuds/LivingInSmilesIsBetter
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He had been working on his observation skills, perfecting his powers of perception, honing his eye for detail. To impress his colleagues; to be more like his boss. It was absolutely not his fault that he'd started observing those he saw every day, the people around him becoming his test subjects, placed under the microscope, studied. It was absolutely not his fault he had started to notice things, lots of little things, which he’d put together, piece by piece. No, Lucas couldn’t be blamed for what he had uncovered. If it was anyone's fault it was the Doc's. Yes, Henry could only blame himself for this.<br/>Written for the Lucas Wahl Appreciation Week Ficathon.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Operation Observation

 

He had been working on his observation skills, perfecting his powers of perception, honing his eye for detail. To impress his colleagues; to be more like his boss. It was absolutely not his fault that he'd started observing those he saw every day, the people around him becoming his test subjects, placed under the microscope, studied. It was absolutely not his fault he had started to notice things, lots of little things, which he’d put together, piece by piece. No, Lucas couldn’t be blamed for what he had uncovered. If it was anyone's fault it was the Doc's. Yes, Henry could only blame himself for this. 

 

* * *

 

Henry’s body bobbed with each step as he walked through the morgue, the loose ends of his scarf trailing over his shoulders, untucked and free. Lucas watched as he strode past, throwing out a jovial, “Morning, Lucas!” without pausing to stop, heading straight on into his office and closing the door securely behind him. He noticed the upbeat gait – and the mulberry-colored material trailing over his shoulder, askew from the spring in his step. Watching as surreptitiously as he could, Lucas eyed his boss through the glass walls separating his office from the morgue, but his eyes fixated on the scarf Henry sat readjusting, tucking back into place, smoothing down. _New_ scarf. Quite the shade of purple too. Maybe it was Liseran… _No_ , he decided, after staring at it intensely, _definitely mulberry_ – like the color of the crayon he’d shoved up his nose as a kid (simply because it had seemed like a good idea at the time. Later, not so much).

Pushing open the door to the office, Lucas wandered in, ignoring Henry’s eyebrows knitting together at his sudden entrance. Taking a seat opposite his boss, he decided a direct approach was best. "So who are you tryin' to impress?"

Henry’s annoyance was disrupted by a flash of fear, and then masked with feigned confusion. All the while his hands busied themselves with papers on the desk, shuffling them around from one position to another, a clearly _much more_ important positon. When he caught Lucas staring at his hands he exhaled a puff of air in annoyance, and cleared his throat.  

"Noticed the new scarf." Lucas folded his arms and leaned back in the chair, well aware he was smirking, letting it play on his lips, making it clear he was proud of himself.

Clasping his hands together on his desk, Henry observed Lucas with a hard edge in his eyes, a barely concealed glare, before asking, "Has everyone catalogued my wardrobe?"

The smirk lingered. Thinking back to the last time he’d seen Henry break out a new scarf, he asked, "Professor Dawes back in town?"

"I couldn't tell you,” Henry replied in an even tone.

So possibly Molly? But Henry's attraction to Molly had been no secret, so why wouldn't he just say yes?

So possibly _not_ Molly then.

“Someone new?” Lucas asked, his voice lilting. His boss had his eyes on someone. But _who_? His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the door opening, and Henry pushing his chair back and standing in haste.

“Detective Martinez,” Henry exclaimed, brushing past his desk to greet his other partner. His hands smoothed down his waistcoat, tugging gently on the ends, assuring his appearance was impeccable, as always. Lucas shook his head at how unnecessary it was, at how little Jo probably even noticed or cared.

Jo smiled as she walked in. “Well, that was quite the greeting.” She nodded to Lucas, but her eyes were quick to return to Henry, standing in front of her, the anticipation of a body to save him from this conversation almost seeping out of him.

“Please tell me someone has died.”

 _Told ya_ , Lucas thought, feeling more than a little smug. _Yes, you did_ , he replied to himself.

“Someone has died,” Jo repeated in confirmation. “And only you would consider that good news.”

Lucas sighed. He’d just have to watch then, observe. If Henry wasn’t going to reveal her name, well, he’d just have to figure it out another way.

Her name? Or _his_? Was that it? His face lit up in a massive grin – one that no one else saw.

It hit him then that he was sitting there smiling like an idiot in an empty room.

Oh. Wait. They were gone. There had been a murder. _Idiot_!

He scrambled to his feet, almost sliding on the smooth floor as he exited Henry’s office and took a sharp turn. “Hey!” he called through the empty morgue. “Wait up!”

 

 

He caught up with them just moments before they reached Jo’s car, and slipped into the back before either could blink. After a visit to the scene ( _murder, of course, Henry announcing without even opening the body. Man, one day he’d be that good too_ ), Henry spent the rest of the day disappearing up to the precinct to talk to Jo or Hanson, leaving Lucas alone in the morgue with enough instructions to keep him busy. Enough work to make sure he stayed put, while Henry got to wander back and forth as much as he pleased. One day he’d be the boss. Gazing off, lost in his head, he smiled to himself. One day he would be buddied up with the hot detective while his assistant did the grunt work.

"Why don’t you just phone them?" he asked his boss after he’d returned from his fifth trip up to the precinct. 

"I prefer to relay this information in person."

"Ooh why?” Lucas asked, excitement bubbling up inside him. “Did you find something weird?” At Henry’s frown, he continued, “Not weird then. Sensitive perhaps? Scared the phones are bugged?" He dropped his voice to a whisper. "Is it a matter of national security? Need to know? Oh my God, he is _human_ , right?"

Henry raised his hands in defeat and asked in exasperation, "What on earth are you talking about?"

"No, it's cool, it's cool," he said, side-eying the body on the slab. "Secret's safe - whatever it is."

Henry blinked. "The idiom _lost the plot_ comes to mind," he muttered, before heading into his office and closing the door. 

Digging the Geiger counter out from the bottom drawer against the wall, Lucas carried it back over to the body, keeping a little distance while the device turned on.

Just in case…

 

* * *

 

The cause of death hadn’t been quite as exciting as Lucas had hoped. Run-of-the-mill, really. And the trend had continued. Ten days, and two fresh – and one not-so-fresh – bodies later Lucas stood anxiously as Detective Martinez walked into the morgue taking long strides. Lucas went over the results of the tox report, repeating the findings over and over inside his head as she approached, ready to recite it all at a moment's notice. 

"Morning, Lucas."

"Arsenic, he was. I mean poisoned, with arsenic. Dead."

 _Smooth_.

A nervous chuckle escaped, and it made him hate himself just a little more. "I mean, clearly he's dead."

Jo held up a hand to silence him, eyebrows raised at his babbling. "You okay, Lucas?"

He nodded, his mouth too dry for much more. She looked nice today. She always looked nice. _Nicer_. Her hair was brushing her shoulders in soft curls, her lips stained an intense reddish-burgundy, and the shirt she wore was a little less no nonsense, a little more fun. He felt like something was missing, too, but his brain couldn’t quite recall what because she looked _really_ nice. _Synonyms for nice, Lucas_ , he chided himself. _Think._ He managed to keep it all inside his head, all the internal babbling over her appearance and his tenuous grasp on the English language. Or, at least, he was pretty sure none of that had left his lips. He dared to meet her eyes. Okay. She appeared confused but not offended. Good. 

"Henry in?"

"Just stepped out,” he told her. At her disappointed look, he added, "I could go through the results with you.”

"It's fine. Henry already did." She gave him a small smile. “Poisoned with arsenic, right?”

"Oh," he replied, disappointed. “Right.”

"Let him know I was here? I'll catch up with him later."

"Yeah, no problemo."

Here to see the good Doctor. Of course.

The next time Henry had a day off he was going to prove to Jo what he was capable of.

He’d really been working hard lately, training his brain to pick up on all the little things he might have missed before. Like- _Oh_! He snapped his fingers. She hadn’t been wearing the ring around her neck. See, he’d noticed that.

He just needed Detective Martinez on-duty that day – which seemed to be happening less and less often recently. Lucas just hadn’t been able to catch a break lately.

He supposed Hanson might do.

If he had no other choice.

 

* * *

 

It was around the start of week four of _Operation Observation_ when his brain caught up.

Alone in the morgue, feet propped up on a small table, graphic novel on his lap, he sat chewing on a sandwich, taking care not to drop crumbs on the pages, when he had an epiphany. A peanut butter and jelly epiphany. He stopped chewing, mouth full of masticated Wonder Bread, half-finished lunch halfway to his lips, wide eyes staring at nothing, brain on overdrive.

Jo had been visiting the morgue a lot, with _very_ important information for Henry that had to be passed on in person and in private.

Henry had been disappearing up to the precinct, a quick jaunt to speak with the Detectives. Or one in particular.

Moments from the past few weeks flashed through his mind, scene by scene.

_Henry fixing his scarf in the elevator on his way up to the precinct._

_Henry smoothing his waist coat before walking over to meet Jo opposite the body._

_Henry letting a hand rest on her lower back as he ushered her through doors ahead of him. Not even resting really, more like a lingering brush of his fingertips, but more than he usually touched her._

_Henry disappearing up to the precinct a whole lot more than usual._

_Henry smiling at her a whole lot more. And Jo returning each one._

Not friendly smiles either. More like _I’ve seen you naked_ smiles. A little flirty, a little shy, soft and tinged with thoughts that couldn’t be spoken out loud in that moment.

 _Huh_.

Swallowing before the food could fall out of his open mouth, Lucas cleared up with haste and hurried back to the morgue, a little spring in his own step.

Ordinarily, he might be a little – okay, _a lot_ – jealous. But they were happy, he’d seen the change in the two of them, everything made sense now.

Being in love really suited Henry and Jo.

 

* * *

 

Lucas whistled as Henry entered the morgue the next morning. "Looking sharp, Doctor Morgan. New scarf again. Although not new now, I guess."

Henry shifted his weight, uncomfortable under his assistant's curious eyes.

"Hot date tonight?"

"If you have time to comment on my appearance you have time to examine Mr Carson's stomach contents."

Lucas raised his hands in defeat. "Just saying, you're looking awfully dashing today," he replied, head down, working through the stomach contents of the victim. No reason he couldn't multitask. "Detective Martinez was here earlier," he said in a casual tone, picking up the bagged remains of the victim's last meal. 

An interested "Oh?" met Lucas's ears and he suppressed the smile. 

"Perhaps I should phone her," Henry mused.

Lucas looked up and watched as Henry took the phone into his office, and closed the door; he watched as he spoke into it, a happy smile on his face. 

Yes, Lucas decided it was safe to assume something had _definitely_ shifted in that friendship recently.

Probably safe to assume Henry got some last night too, if the bounce in his step and the sparkle in his eyes were anything to go by.

Lewd images of Detective Martinez filled his head, and he allowed himself a moment – just a nanosecond, really – before clearing the thoughts with a quick shake of his head. Nope. He wasn't proud of himself in that moment. 

Okay, maybe one more nanosecond before he focused on the stomach contents again…

 

* * *

 

"A drink after work?" Lucas suggested one afternoon after Jo had stopped by to announce the latest homicide solved. Get them drunk, get them talking, and then WHAM! Coax an admission out of them before they had a chance to realize they were totally busted.

Henry looked reluctant, lips drawn tight as he considered it.

Jo looked keen, eyes bright at the idea of a blow-out after a tough case.

Then the two looked at each other, and Lucas watched it all.

Henry shrugged. "I suppose I could--"

Jo tilted her head. "Tomorrow instead maybe--"

They both cut their sentences off, and smiled. 

"I'll finish my paperwork and see how I'm going for time," Jo decided.

"As will I."

Lucas shrugged, shouldered his bag, and left them to it. Paperwork, huh?

Is that what the kids were calling it these days.

 

* * *

By the end of week five Lucas was done waiting. Fate was funny sometimes, though, and it seemed he only had to wait a few minutes more...

It was a damp day; the overnight rain had soaked the ground, and gray clouds hung above them with the threat of more. The body lay prone on the sodden dirt, a blood-stained hole with charred edges pointing to the cause of death, the why still to be uncovered. Lucas slung his scarf over his shoulders, buttoned his coat, and then snapped on the latex gloves. Ready to be Henry – until Henry arrived. He was about to crouch before the body when a flash of movement from Jo caught his attention, and he glanced over at her as she brought her cell phone to her ear.

"Hey, sorry I woke you." Jo smiled into her phone and then turned her head away, murmuring, "I _know_ I woke you."

Lucas pretended not to listen to the phone conversation - or the one side of it he could hear - but he hung on every word. He eased around, kind of side-stepped around the body, pretending to notice something on the victim, but really he just wanted a view of her profile as she spoke.

"We've got a body." Pause. Eye roll. A smile on her lips and in her voice as she said, "Funny, but you know what I mean.” Another pause, her smile grew wider, and then she rattled off the address. Oh to hear the other side of that conversation.

Ending the call, Jo schooled her features and turned back to face Lucas, probably hoping there was enough distance between them that he hadn’t overheard a word of that.

But he’d heard enough of it.

"So you and the Doc, eh?"

Jo froze. “Um, murder.” She pointed down, blinked rapidly, and then knelt before the body, avoiding Lucas’s eyes.

“I’ve been working on my observation skills.”

“Mmhmmm,” Jo replied, eyes trained on the victim.

“Noticed some things, y’know.”

“Anything you notice about how this guy died?”

His eyes flicked down to the body, then back to the top of Jo’s head, the detective doing all she could to avoid his eyes.

“He was shot in the back,” he said plainly. “It’s okay, I approve.”

“Of how this guy died?” She looked up then, impatience lining her face.

“Uh, no, I mean, you and Henry.”

Jo paled, and he clamped his lips closed, suddenly aware just how loud that had come out. He glanced around, but no one was paying them any attention. In a lower voice, he added, “I think it’s nice. You two.”

Sighing in frustration, Jo stood, grabbed the cuff of his coat, and hauled him away from the body, off to the side, and he went, despite knowing he was about to be verbally pummelled. Maybe physically too…

“Lucas, listen to me,” she began, a warning in her tone.

He nodded, standing before her, well away from the scene now. He stuffed his hands in his pockets so she couldn’t see they were shaking. Just a little. Not because he was scared of her.

He was terrified, actually.

“Whatever you think you know, you need to shut up now, okay?”

“Okay.” He swallowed.

She nodded, and turned to walk away.

The next words left his lips without his permission. “But I’m right.”

Jo paused, and turned back, a slight smile tugging at her lips as she repeated, “Shut up.”

 

* * *

 

They cornered him later that evening. Hauled into Henry’s office like a kid to the principal’s office, he was directed to sit in a chair while Henry and Jo stood in front of him. No, not the principal’s office. This felt more like his parents chastising him. He was dead…

“While I appreciate your observation skills,” Henry began, keeping his voice low and even. “And have noticed an improvement in your work, I—" He cut himself off, and gestured between himself and Jo. “We are not your side project.”

“What Henry is saying – too politely – is that you need you need to stop studying us.”

“But am I right?” he asked, his voice smaller than usual, but full of hope. He needed to be right. The idea of them together was all kinds of awesome.

Henry sighed. He glanced to Jo, who pursed her lips, and then gave a slight nod. “Yes, Lucas,” Henry admitted. “Jo and I are cour-“

“Dating,” Jo cut in, clearly not a fan of whatever term Henry was about to use. She made a face then, and shook her head. “We’re… just… it’s new, Lucas, we’re still figuring it out.”

Lucas pushed himself to his feet and grinned. He threw his arms around them both, pulling them into an awkward hug. He didn’t care that they both stood stiff in his arms, Henry fighting it a little, Jo just sort of giving in and letting it happen despite her annoyance. He released them and pulled back. They could suppress their smiles as much as they wanted, but he saw it shining in their eyes: relief; joy; pride.

“How recent?”

“I think you know,” Henry told him.

“Four weeks, give or take a few days,” Lucas supplied.

Henry nodded in confirmation. “This stays between us, Lucas,” Henry warned.

 “Of course, of course,” Lucas promised. “I won’t tell a soul.” Wrapping his arms around them again, he pulled them back into the awkward hug, except this time a few awkward pats on his own back were returned. ”Aawww you guys! This is so cool!”

He felt Jo exhale an annoyed sigh; felt Henry shake his head. But he could feel them both smiling. They were happy. That was all he cared about.                   

(Well that, and the fact it was still absolutely not his fault he’d found them out).

 

 

 

 


End file.
